Monroe County

After pitching my tent in the dark last night, I finally laid down to get some rest. And although I kept on all of my riding gear except my helmet, I messed up and took off my boots. I have notoriously cold feet (not like that, like temperature), but last night my toes were so cold they hurt. So, since I had on all of my other heated gear, I put on my boots with heated insoles and plugged myself into the bike until I could feel my toes thawing. I hopped back in the tent--with boots on this time--but again my feet kept me from sleeping. I plugged myself in three times between 23:00 and 04:00, but when my feet woke me up at 05:30, I gave up, packed, did my stretching routine, and left by 07:00 in very cold weather.

I would've liked to have seen Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park in the daytime. It looked very pretty on the way out, with many buildings and a large stream running through it. I will have to go back some day when it's warmer.

Today's riding was just dealerships and parks. I visited Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, where Andrew Jackson made his name fighting the Red Stick Creek for their land. It was a scenic, short, and somber drive and worth a detour if you're passing near there.

(See more here: https://www.nps.gov/hobe/index.htm)

I also stopped at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site. I was really looking forward to this stop because I share a tiny bit of history with the Tuskegee Airmen. I was a Red Tail in Iraq with the 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, which traces its lineage back to the TA Red Tails. Although the bookstore was open, the museum is only open on Fridays and Saturdays. Poop. Again.

(See more here: https://www.nps.gov/tuai/index.htm)

Yesterday I missed the Vicksburg Battlefield stamp and today I missed the Tuskegee Airmen museum. I also missed stamps from Andersonville National Historic Site and Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, both in Georgia, because I left them towards the end of my route today, and they would have been closed when I arrived.

So, I obviously need to plan these park visits better from now on so I can get my stamps and also see at least a little of what they're about.

This evening I'm at a Kampground of America outside of Macon, where I've pitched my tent, taken a shower, and scraped three inches along my bottom pipe heat shield on a chunk of concrete I didn't see...even though it had a huge grill sticking out of it 🤦.

Now I'm hanging out in the laundry room because it's cold outside and it's cold in my tent. Actually, it's not that bad, around 55°F, but last night has had me chilled all day. Plus, the laundry room has a outlet for my phone. I plan on sleeping in all of my gear again, including my boots. I hope I don't have to plug into the bike tonight🤞.

So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

Day 2 mileage: 458.3 (total 1099.5)
HD Dealerships: 6 (total 46)
National Parks: 2 (total 12 in 6 states)
50 Rides, 1 Nation: 0 (total 46 of 50)
10 Rides for 2022: 0 (total 0 of 10)
MCGTTX Stops: 0 (total 0 of 50)Read more